Norfolk, Va. A recentopinion pieceby Apples CEO, Tim Cook, lamented Indianas new 'Religious Freedom Restoration Act' as what he characterized as a wave of legislation" which some claim is the result of the emerging power and reach of conservative "bill mills."

Theres something very dangerous happening in states across the country. A wave of legislation, introduced in more than two dozen states, would allow people to discriminate against their neighbors, Mr. Cook wrote in The Washington Post. Some, such as the bill enacted in Indiana last week that drew a national outcry and one passed in Arkansas, say individuals can cite their personal religious beliefs to refuse service to a customer or resist a state nondiscrimination law. Others are more transparent in their effort to discriminate.

Cook was referring to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence andhis state's new "religious freedom" law, which gives business owners the right todecline serving customers based on religious grounds in effect turning away LGBT customers

Some Democrats and political analysts say that the "wave" Cook refers to is not originating with voters, but rather conservative "bill mills" that finance state legislators to attend educational conferences that may provide both unified ideas and prefabricated bills to take home. Specifically, they seeThe American Legislative Exchange Council(ALEC) as the primary driver of conservative state laws.

But when asked whetherALEC was involved in supporting theReligious Freedom Restoration Act, ALEC spokesperson Bill Meierlingresponds: We do not work on firearms, marriage equality, immigration, any of those things people frequently say are ours.

Still, North Carolina state Rep.Graig R. Meyerof (D) Durham says that ALECis having a profound effect on how state legislators in his state are picking their targets.

While ALEC may not be directly distributing the template legislation were seeing pop up all over the country, they are primarily the network for legislative exchange that is operating as a provider of educational seminars and conferences, Mr. Meyer says in a phone interview.

One such ALEC conferencewas held in North Carolina.While nobody can say for sure where the next religious freedom law bill will pop up, its probably a safe bet to look at where their most recent national conferences were held and where the next one will be, says Meyer.

The last ALEC national conference was held in December in Washington, D.C. The next one coming up will be in San Diego, Calif., according to ALEC's Meierling.He describes the organization as "an exchange of legislators and entrepreneurs who come together to discuss policy.

A Source Watch report on the legislative authors of Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) shows many are also on theALEC Indiana membershiplist. Three of the bill's co-authors are also ALEC Task Force committee chairs, including Indiana stateSen. Carlin J. Yoder(R) of District 12, Sen. Jean Leising (R) of District 42, andSen. Jim Buck (R) of District 21,according to Source Watch.

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Who's pushing the 'religious freedom' legislation in states?